Corporate Money Is Playing a Shadowy Role in 2016 Politics – US News

Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, billionaire investor George Soros and hedge fund manager Robert Mercer have grabbed headlines so far this election with seven- and eight-figure donations to political super PACs. Yet this media attention obscures perhaps the most-overlooked story of the 2016 elections: the corporate dominance of political spending across all levels of government.With their bankrolls unfettered by Citizens United, we calculate that corporations are responsible for the greatest spending in the political arena, with direct and indirect contributions running into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Their powerful force in shaping Washington policymaking is already well-known. Their massive engagement at state and local levels is not.